W. Kübler - Böcker

Microcirculation is a rather new field which has been of predominant interest to basic scientists, linking togeth~r technical, hemodynamic, and biochemical aspects. The fmdings elaborated, however, are not only of theoretical interest, but bear in addition great clinical implications. In clinical cardiology this became quite evident by the use of tracers in order to study myocardial perfuSion and by the deSCription of certain clinical entities - such as angina with normal coro­ nary arteries - which are best explained by "disturbed microcirculation". With respect to this new developing theoretical and clinical field of cardiac microcirculation it was the aim of the Microcirculation Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology to have a symposium on which all different but clinically relevant aspects of cardiac microcirculation will be covered. This symposium, held in Heidelberg in January 1980, was planned not only for the exchange of concepts and ideas, but was expected to be in addition partially a teaching session; the basic scientists should be directed toward a better under­ standing of the clinical problems, and the clinicians should learn more about the basic mechanisms regulating substrate and ion exchange in such an impor­ tant organ as the heart, and furthermore the theoretical limitations of some of the diagnostic and therapeutical procedures should be taught. Without a lot of help we would never have succeeded in organizing the sym­ posium and editing its results.

Dieses Buch bietet eine exzellente Zusammenfassung des Standes der Forschung und deren klinische Anwendung zu Beta-Blockern. Der Einsatz von Beta-Blockern bei verschiedenen koronaren Erkrankungen wird ausführlich beschrieben. Grenzen und Abgrenzungen zu anderen Therapiemöglichkeiten werden diskutiert.

An International Symposium "Catecholamines and the Heart" was held in Munich in May 1981, which was organized in cooperation with the Council on Cardiac Metabolism of the International Society and Federation of Cardiology and with the Microcirculation Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology. It was the aim of the organizers to evaluate in this Symposium the recent advances made in the field of sympathetic control of heart function. Particular attention was given to neural sympathetic pathways, to mechanisms and consequences of adrenoceptor stimulation and blockade as well as to clinically relevant implications mainly regarding the significance of catecholamines and of adrenoceptors in various heart diseases. The broad scope was covered in 34 papers presented by physiologists, pharmacologists and cardiologists during a two day meeting which was attended by an international audience. This book includes all papers as well as the discussions following each presentation. To accomplish rapid publication the manuscripts are published as submitted by the authors. The discussions were edited making use of the written questions and answers of the discussants. The Symposium was generously sponsored by Astra Chemicals GmbH, Wedell Holstein, Germany, which thus made possible a very fruitful exchange of information, ideas and concepts between specialists in various disciplines. The organizers gratefully acknowledge this support once again and would like to thank Dr. T. Kreuzer, the representative of Astra Chemicals, for his personal engagement.